


Freedom

by OneAndOnlyOllie



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Angst, Beheaded Cousins, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, How do I tag?, Kat Anne and Cathy were kidnapped, Kat and Anne deserve the world, More tags to be added, but all is not well-, but they're back now, katanna, parrlyn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-20 11:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneAndOnlyOllie/pseuds/OneAndOnlyOllie
Summary: Cathy, Anne, and Kat had been kidnapped, but now they're home again.Unfortunately, they knew who took them, and the kidnappers knew that too.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn & Katherine Howard, Anne Boleyn/Catherine Parr, Anne of Cleves/Katherine Howard, Catherine of Aragon & Catherine Parr, Catherine of Aragon & Katherine Howard, Jane Seymour & Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour & Katherine Howard
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

“Come on,” Cathy hugged Anne closer against her chest, “Anne, stay awake.”

There was a soft groan and Anne hugged her stomach, “Hurts…”

“I know, my love. We’re almost there.” Cathy leaned down and nuzzled her girlfriend’s shoulder gently, “Just hold on.”

She shook rain away from her face, nearly collapsing to the ground when she saw her godmother’s cabin up ahead.

“Kat,” She called over her shoulder, “It’s right there!”

The younger girl quickened her pace and raced in front of Cathy to the backdoor of the building. She knocked rapidly until a light came on inside and someone opened the door.

“Lina!” Cathy cried.

Her godmother immediately sprinted from her house and met Cathy and Anne.

“Thank God you’re okay!”

“I’m fine, it’s Anne-”

Catalina noticed the girl in her goddaughter’s arms, “Oh, yes, yes, of course! Do you want me to carry her?”

“Sure,” Cathy started to hand her green-eyed beauty over to Catalina, but Anne was clearly against that and grabbed Cathy’s shirt.

“No,  _ mon amour!” _

Cathy sighed and re-cradled Anne against her chest, “I’ve got you, Annie.”

“Okay,” Catalina nodded, “Girls, come on. Inside.”

The cabin was just as Cathy remembered it: pale yellow walls, hardwood floors, candles, and lace curtains. Catalina immediately ran down the hall, returning a few seconds later with armfuls of medical equipment, blankets, and towels.

“Lay her down here,” the Spaniard instructed, placing one of the towels on the couch. While Cathy did as she was told, Catalina tossed a towel to Kat. “There’s a shower down the hall and clothes in the closet. Help yourself to anything that fits.”

The teenager nodded slowly, then scampered to the bathroom.

Cathy knelt on the groaned beside Anne and brushed her wet hair back out of her face, “Anne, can I look at your stomach?”

The Boleyn girl nodded her consent and Cathy gently pushed up the pathetic excuse for a shirt. Catalina, who was watching from a respectful distance, gasped when she saw the knife wound on the girl’s belly.

“Cathy-”

The girl in question shook her head, “Not now, Lina. I’ll explain later, but not now. Can I have one of those first aid kits?”

The Spaniard handed the small red box over, and Cathy immediately tore into it, expertly cleaning, stitching, and dressing the wound with quick, nimble fingers. When she was finished, she washed her hands and kissed Anne’s forehead.

“Is that better?”

The injured girl hummed, “It still hurts.” Her eyes opened slightly, “Maybe if you kiss it-”

Cathy laughed and lovingly tapped Anne’s nose, “You could’ve died of bloodloss tonight and you’re still such a flirt.”

Anne smiled faintly and leaned into Cathy’s hand, “It’s because I love you.”

“I love you, too. Get some rest. I’ll get you changed into some dry clothes, don’t worry.”

Emerald green eyes were once again hidden as Anne dropped into unconsciousness. From down the hall, the shower turned off and Cathy could hear Kat’s soft footsteps.

“Are you okay, _ mija?” _ Catalina knelt down beside her goddaughter.

“I’m fine,” Cathy nodded, “I’m fine. Anne’s going to be fine, Kat’s going to be fine, I’m fine.”

The Spaniard sighed and put her hand on Cathy’s knee, hurt flashing in her eyes when the younger woman cringed back against the coffee table.

“What happened? The cops, they looked for you everywhere.”

“Not everywhere apparently,” Cathy shook her head, smiling softly when Anne coughed quietly in her sleep.

“Do you know where you were, Cathy?” Catalina pressed gently, “Do you know who took you?”

The younger woman nodded and ran a hand over her wet hair to try and tame its frizz, “Yes, and yes. But, Lina, I’m exhausted. I just want to sleep and change and-” she sighed, “Can we talk about this another time? I still need to get Anne out of her wet clothes, too.”

Catalina nodded and got to her feet, “Yes, yes, of course. Why don’t I make you some tea or soup, or anything?”

“Tea is fine, thanks.”

The Spaniard loitered in the living room for a second, “I missed you, Cathy. I missed you a lot.”

“I missed you, too.”

Kat was waiting in the bathroom doorway when Cathy joined her.

“You feeling better?”

The teenager nodded, “Yeah, uhm, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Anne… is she?-”

Cathy smiled gently and took Kat’s hands, “She’s going to be fine. She’s sleeping in the living room right now.”

“Good,” Kat’s shoulders slumped, “That’s good. Hey, uh, Cathy?”

“Yeah?”

“I never thanked you for… you know… helping me.”

Cathy pulled Kat against her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around the teenager, “You don’t have to thank me. You didn’t deserve anything that they did to you.”

“Still… thank you. You were there when Anne wasn’t.”

“She would’ve if she could’ve. I’m proud of you for telling her.” Cathy gently pushed Kat back and brushed her thumb under the teenager’s eyes to clear away the tears, “My godmother is making us tea, why don’t you take some clothes to Anne? I’m going to change and then I’ll come help you.”

Kat nodded then dashed off to find clothes that would fit her cousin.

Cathy found her bedroom and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. She changed out of her wet clothes as fast as she could, then joined the cousins in the living room. Catalina was still busying herself in the kitchen, but Kat was working on peeling Anne’s damp and bloody shirt off of her. 

“How bad was the wound?” The younger girl asked when Cathy started helping her.

“Bad, but it’s taken care of. See?” Cathy nodded to the bandage on Anne’s stomach, “She’ll be okay.”

Kat nodded slowly and refocused her attention.

Anne didn’t wake up the entire time Cathy and Kat changed her clothes. She stirred a few times, especially when Cathy lifted her off the couch so Kat could take away the damp towel under her, but Cathy quickly soothed her back into quietude.

Catalina entered the living room with a kettle, three mugs, and different bags of tea, which she set on the coffee table.

“Help yourself,” She said, “Oh, Kat, I called Jane. I hope that’s okay?”

The teenager nodded, “Uhm, yeah, it’s okay, thank you, Catalina.”

“Of course,  _ gatita, _ ” The older woman answered gently, “Jane was very excited to hear that you three are safe and promised to be here as soon as she could.”

“What,” Kat took a slow breath, “What about Anna?”

Catalina glanced at Cathy, then shrugged, “I haven’t called her yet, but I can if you want me to.”

The teenager shook her head, “Do-do you think that, uhm, that I could… call her?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Catalina pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it over, “Her contact is in there.”

Kat took the phone and started scrolling through the lists of the Spaniard’s contacts until she found the one she was looking for:  _ Anna von Cleves _ . She clicked on the call button and hesitantly held the phone to her ear.

_ “Catti?” _ Anna asked when she answered the phone, _ “What’s going on? You know how late it is, right?” _

“A-Anna?” Kat’s voice shook.

_ “Who is this?” _

“It-it’s me, it’s Kat.”

_ “Kätzchen?” _

“Y-yes.”

_ “Oh my God! Kat! Where are you? Are you okay? Are you safe?” _

“I-I’m, I’m okay,” Kat wove the fabric of the blanket around her shoulders through her fingers, “I’m at, at Catalina’s. I’m safe.”

_ “Are you alone? I mean, besides Catalina.” _

Kat glanced at Cathy, who was now cuddling Anne on the couch, “No, no, I’m not alone. Cathy and Anne are here, too.”

_ “My God, Katze. I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” _

“Okay.”

_ “I missed you.” _

“I missed you, too.”

_ “I’ll be right there, Kat. I’ll see you soon.” _

“See you soon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: mentions of physical abuse and sexual assault

When Anne woke up some eight hours later, she curled tightly into the arms around her, recognizing the feel of Cathy’s skin against her own.

“Someone’s in a snuggly mood today.”

Anne smiled at the sound of her girlfriend’s voice and nodded slightly, “Give me a break, I almost died last night.”

Cathy laughed and hugged Anne closer.

“Sorry to interrupt, girls,” Catalina entered the living room, “Jane and Anna just texted. They’re almost here.”

“Are you ready to see them?” Cathy whispered, opening her hand so that Anne could trace the creases on her palm.

The Boleyn girl shrugged, “Yes, no… I don’t know. Will you stay?”

“Of course, my love.”

Anne felt Cathy kiss the side of her head and sank gratefully into the arms around her. 

Kat had opted to sleep on the floor and had just propped herself up when a soft knocking was heard on the door. Catalina’s voice was heard, along with two others. Jane and Anna.

The German was the first to enter the living room, and Kat was immediately on her feet and running to her girlfriend’s arms.

Jane came in next, she stared at Kat for a few seconds, then saw Anne and Cathy cuddling on the couch. She rushed over and knelt down.

“Anne, Cathy, are you two okay?”

Anne didn’t answer, but untangled herself from Cathy’s arms and leaned off the couch until she could hug her older cousin tightly. 

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Jane shook her head and pulled Anne close. Cathy shuffled herself off the couch and found Catalina in the kitchen. The Spaniard was leaning against the sink with tears in her eyes.

“Lina?”

The matriarch turned around, quickly wiping her face, “Hey, Cathy.”

“Are you crying?”

“No, no,” Catalina sighed, then nodded, “I’m just really glad you’re home. We didn’t know where you were or who took you or how long you would be gone...”

Cathy felt her own tears start falling and she collapsed against her godmother, “I know…”

The older woman wrapped her arms tightly around Cathy.

“I love you so much, mija,” Catalina whispered into her goddaughter’s ear, “I’m so sorry we didn’t work harder to find you.”

“We’re home now,  _ Madrina _ ,” Cathy pulled back slightly, “Hey, uhm, I have a question for you.”

“Hmm?”

“Uhm, why now? Like, why weren’t you crying and freaking out like this yesterday?”

Catalina smiled sadly, “I missed you three so much and was so worried about all of you that the second I had Kat banging on my backdoor, nothing mattered except making sure you were okay. Last night, I was running on shock and adrenaline. I think the relief that you three are home safe is catching up to me.” The Spaniard pulled her goddaughter back into her arms, “I’m not letting anyone touch the three of you, never again.”

Cathy smiled into Catalina’s chest and sank into the arms around her.

Back in the living room, Jane had claimed a spot on the couch beside Anne, who had shifted so her head was in her cousin’s lap. Kat had slipped from Anna’s arms and was now curled up against Jane as the blonde gently ran her fingers through Anne’s raven hair. The German sat on the floor with her head resting on Kat’s knees.

“Girls,” Jane asked quietly when Catalina and Cathy re-entered the living room, “We need to contact the police.”

Anne immediately bolted upright and glanced at Kat and Cathy, “W-Why?”

“You were kidnapped, Anne, love,” Catalina crossed her arms in a somehow non-intimidating way, “And Cathy said you know who it was. We need to get help.”

“No,” Kat leaned away from Jane and gripped the edge of the couch tightly, “It’s fine. We’re okay. We don’t need the police.”

“ _ Kätzchen _ ,” Anna gently took her girlfriend’s hands, only for Kat to flinch back and yank her hands away.

Cathy immediately ran over and carefully pulled Kat away, making sure to hold her in the same way she always did. Under her breath, Cathy started to hum a soft tune under her breath. It was a melody that Anne had made up one night that had become the three’s “anthem” of sorts. They used it to give them hope and comfort and remind each other that they were safe. It was almost a lullaby and a freedom song rolled into one.

“What is happening?” Anna asked, looking between her girlfriend curled into Cathy’s chest and Anne.

“That’s for Kat to tell when she’s ready,” Anne bit her lip.

Anna’s face twisted into a look of concern and confusion, but she nodded slowly.

As soon as Kat had calmed down, Catalina called the detective that had been working their case and explained what happened the night before. They promised to be right over and five minutes later, the Spaniard led the cop into the living room.

“Hello, Anne, Kat, Cathy,” The Detective smiled and sat down in the chair offered by Catalina, “My name is Detective Sam Robson, they/them pronouns please. It’s very nice to finally get to meet you. Your family have told me a lot about the three of you.”

Anne and Cathy curled against each other and Kat, who had retreated into Anna’s lap, hid her face in the German’s hair.

“It’s very nice to meet you, too, Detective,” Anne whispered softly, pulling gently on Cathy’s fingers while twisting them together with her own.

“Catalina told me that you three showed up last night at her backdoor,” Detective Robson continued, flipping open their notebook, “Can you tell me what happened?”

“They… uhm,” Cathy leaned her head against Anne’s, “They left the door unlocked accidentally and we ran while they were out getting drinks. We got out of there and eventually found our way here.”

“Okay...” The Detective nodded and scribbled into their book, “Do you know who… took you?”

The three kidnappees shared a look, prompting reactions from the others. 

Jane scooted closer to Anne and whispered, “It’s okay, my loves.”

Catalina leaned against the back of an armchair. “Mija?” She asked.

Anna didn’t say anything, but tightened her arms around Kat, who seemed to appreciate the notion.

“We do,” Anne spoke quietly, “We know who it was.”

Robson nodded, “Okay, can you tell me?”

Silence from all three, then Kat’s soft voice squeaked out, “Henry Tudor and Tom… Thomas Culpeper.”

Jane winced, Anna looked ready to murder someone, and Catalina let out a soft noise that sounded like a hiss.

“Do these names mean something to you?” Robson asked, aware of the reactions.

“Henry Tudor is my ex,” Catalina explained carefully, “And Culpeper was one of his friends.”

The Detective nodded and wrote down the answer, then looked back to Anne, Cathy, and Kat. “Uhm,” They tugged on their jacket, “I’d like to ask you a few personal questions, if that’s okay? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but it would help us figure out exactly how to proceed.” After getting confirmation, Robson took a breath and asked, “Did they hurt you? Physically?”

Anne shrugged and pulled up her shirt slightly so Robson could see the bandage across her stomach, “Yes.”

“Did they threaten you with death?”

Kat responded next, “Daily.”

Robson’s eyes flooded with sympathy as they scribbled down notes, “Okay, uhm, this is going to be an uncomfortable question, so I apologize in advance. Did they ever rape or assault any of you?”

Silence.

“ _ Chicas _ ,” Catalina prompted gently.

Anne looked at Cathy, who kissed the crown of her head, before they both glanced at Kat, then diverted their gaze to the coffee table.

“If you don’t comfortable answering-” Robson started to say, but Cathy cut them off.

“No, uhm. Yes,” She said softly, holding Anne closer, “The answer to your question. It’s yes.”

“Oh,” Jane gasped softly, her hand raising to her mouth, “No…”

Catalina’s eyes flashed with anger and Anna looked shell-shocked. The Detective sighed sadly and wrote down the answer, then stood up.

“I appreciate your cooperation. I can’t imagine how difficult the last three months have been for you and I promise that we will do everything we can to track down these scumbags.” They started for the door, then turned back, “You wouldn’t happen to know where you were being held, would you?”

“The closed high school,” Robson barely heard Cathy’s whispered answer.

“Thank you,” The Detective nodded, “We’ll check it out. I’m very sorry this happened to you, but I’m glad you’re home now.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Catalina led them out of the living room to the door.

“They hurt you,” Anna hugged Kat tightly, “I want to kill them.”

The pink-haired girl gripped her girlfriend’s jacket tightly and curled into the embrace. But, they could all hear her whisper, “As long as you don’t get caught.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: gunshots (very minor though and at the very end), and mentions of scars (not from self-h@rm).

Within the hour after Detective Robson left, someone else had shoved a note into the mail slot on Catalina’s door. The Spaniard had gone to pick it up, only to return holding a paper in her hands and looking very,  _ very _ pale.

“Lina?” Jane hesitantly got to her feet.

“This,” Catalina gave the letter to the blonde woman, “Read it.”

Cathy poked her head out of Anne’s neck, “What does it say?”

Jane’s lips tightened as she scanned the paper.

“Janey?” Kat swallowed, “What does it say?”

The blonde woman turned the paper around so the four others could see it. Sloppily written in bold, eerily familiar writing, someone had scribbled  **_FOUND YOU_ ** across the page.

Anne recognized the writing immediately from the scars on Kat’s back.

“It’s them,” She said, staring at the paper, “Cathy-” Anne gripped her girlfriend’s arm, “It’s them.”

“It’s who?” Anna looked between the three.

Catalina sighed, “The two men who took them. It’s Henry’s handwriting.”

“How did you know, Anne?” Jane gently set a hand on her cousin’s knee.

Kat stared at Anne with wide eyes, pleading with her not to say anything. The raven-haired girl nodded discreetly.

Anne shrugged, “Who else would it be?”

The answer seemed to be accepted, but the atmosphere was still tense.

“Girls,” Catalina spoke softly, “We need to call Detective Robson back. They will know what to do.”

“I agree,” Jane stood up, rubbing Anne’s shoulder gently, “I’ll call.”

Kat crawled up out of Anna’s lap and joined her cousin and Cathy on the couch.

“What do we do?” Anne whispered softly rubbing slow circles on Kat’s knee. “They’re going to find out. What do we do?”

Kat leaned against Cathy, who quickly wrapped an arm protectively around the teenager’s shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Anna watched from the floor, curiosity spiking in her chest.

“What are we going to find out?”

Anne cringed into her girlfriend and Cathy was quick to move her arm so that she could cover Anne’s ears gently enough to block most of the noise, but not hard enough that she could no longer hear.

To everyone’s surprise, it was Kat who spoke up.

“Uhm,” She rubbed the back of her neck, “Everything they put us through. You know, especially if we decide to press charges.”

Anna’s head snapped up, “Wait what? You might not?”

Cathy glanced down at the cousins cuddled up against her, then shrugged. “We don’t know, honestly. There are pros and cons to each.”

“To each of what?” Catalina asked, coming out of the kitchen where Jane’s quiet voice could be heard talking to the detective.

“They don’t know if they want to press charges,” Anna reported, getting to her feet.

Catalina looked at Anna, then at the three on the couch. She walked over to the couch and perched on the edge of the coffee table.

“ _ Mijas _ ,” She speaks slowly and carefully, “Why don’t you think you want to press charges?”

“It’s more trouble than it’s worth,” Anne spoke softly, “They’re only going to make things difficult.”

“What are you worried about, love?” Jane asked, joining the five, phone in hand.

“Are you still on call?” Anna looked up at the blonde woman.

Jane shook her head, “No. Detective Robson said they would be right over. But, once again, what are you worried about?”

“The girls don’t want to press charges,” Catalina explained.

Jane’s eyes flashed, “You’re pressing charges.”

“Jane-” Kat started to protest.

“No,” The blonde woman shook her head, “No, Kit. These men... they need to pay for what they did.”

“We know,” Cathy assured her, “But… they’re both powerful men and this could ruin their reputation and ours.”

“They deserve to have their reputation ruined,” Anna growled.

“No,” Kat shook her head, “He could be nice sometimes.”

Catalina’s eyes narrowed in sympathy, “Kit, he kidnapped, abused, and assaulted at least one, if not all, of you.”

Kat shrunk down into Cathy, “I know that... I just…”

Jane sat down on the couch beside the teenager and rubbed Kat’s shoulder, “He doesn’t deserve your sympathy, my love. He hurt you and he needs to pay the price.”

“But-” Anne poked her head out of Cathy’s neck, “I mean-”

“No,” Catalina shook her head, “These sorry excuses for men don’t deserve pity or sympathy or anything of the sort.  _ Merecen arder en los ardientes pozos del infierno. _ ”

Cathy stared at her godmother,  _ “¡Madrina!” _ she exclaimed.

Anne glanced between Catalina and Cathy, “What does that mean?”

“She wants them to ‘burn in the fiery pits of Hell’,” Cathy explained quietly.

The cousins’ eyes widened.

_ “Zut,  _ Aragon!” Anne grinned, “Who knew you had such a mouth on you?

Aragon blushed, but was saved from having to reply by someone calling, “Catalina? It’s Detective Robson. Jane called me.”

“Excuse me,” The Spaniard was clearly relieved to have the escape and quickly rushed to the door.

“What can I do for you?” Detective Robson asked, joining the group once again.

Anna picked the paper up from the table and gave it to the detective.  _ “Hier,” _ she said.

“What’s this?” They scanned the letter.

“This was shoved through my mail slot shortly after you left,” Catalina explained, “It’s in Henry Tudor’s handwriting.”

Detective Robson’s head snapped up, “You’re sure?”

“100%,” Jane nodded, “Catalina and Anne both confirmed it.”

They nodded slowly, “You six need to come with me back to the station. We’ll put this into evidence and put you in a safe house until we can get Mr. Tudor and Mr. Culpeper’s locations. I know you don’t all live here so we’ll stop at your places on the way back so you can pick up a bag.”

Detective Robson stepped into the kitchen to bag the letter and call their captain while Catalina and Cathy raced to pull their things together.

The three had just returned to the living room when the shots rang out and the window shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments! I would love to hear what you all have to say about this fic!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: gunfight, gunshot wounds

Immediately, Anne pulled Kat down onto the couch, curling protectively around her cousin and ignoring the bolt of pain that shot through her stomach as the wound on her stomach protested the movement. Jane had reacted similarly to her raven-haired cousin and tackled Anne down between the sofa and the coffee table.

“Get back and get down!” Detective Robson pulled a radio out of their pocket, ducking behind the arm of the couch when they saw Catalina pulling Cathy into the hallway. “This is Detective Robson, badge 4258!” They yelled into their radio, followed quickly by Catalina’s address. “Shots fired! Backup needed! Repeat, shots fired! Send backup immediately!” They looked at the six women and raised a finger to their lips, “Be quiet,” they said, “And do not move. At all. Let me do the talking and the confrontation.”

Anne covered her ears with her hands while simultaneously trying to keep Kat pressed into the couch, especially when Robson started to fire back through the window.

“WHERE ARE THEY!?”

The cousins on the couch whimpered softly at the gravelly voice. Henry Tudor appeared in the window and shouldered his way through the shattered glass.

_ “Je t’ai, Kat. Je t’aime. Je t’ai. Il ne te touchera pas,” _ Anne whispered, closing her eyes tightly. 

“Where are whom?” Detective Robson stepped up from behind the couch, gun drawn and pointed at Henry’s chest.

“You know who! Howard! Boleyn! Parr!”

“I don’t know anyone by that name,” Detective Robson didn’t blink, “Who are you?”

“EXCUSE ME?”

Cathy didn’t need to be able to see Henry to know that he must’ve looked shell-shocked.

“You don’t know me?” 

“I mean,” Detective Robson shrugged, “You’re wearing a mask.”

Henry tugged the ski mask off his head and tossed it aside. Anna flinched and squeaked softly when the fabric nearly hit her in the face, but Jane’s shaking hand covered the German’s mouth before anyone could hear.

“I’m Henry Tudor the VIII,” Henry exclaimed, “I’m super famous! How have you never heard of me!?”

Detective Robson refused to let the smug smile crease their lips. They now had an official audio-only (sadly) recording placing Henry Tudor at the scene, but there was much more to be done.

“And,” They continued, “What do you need with these people? This Parr, Boleyn, and Howard?”

Henry threw up his hands, but Detective Robson was - so far - successfully stalling him.

“Are you kidding me?” Henry exclaimed, “Do you even read the tabloids?”

Robson shook their head, “Unfortunately, no. I don’t have the time, but I’ve seen a few stories.”

“You’re missing out, bro.”

Anne could imagine Henry shaking his head and crossing his arms. He loved talking about his fame and his appearances in almost every tabloid published since he was born. 

“Well, why don’t you fill me in?” Robson suggested.

There was a clatter and Cathy shook with fear, pressing closer against her godmother.

“With pleasure!” Henry proceeded to launch into a full-scale explanation of every single article and picture and social media post that had ever been made about his life. 

He even confessed to kidnapping Cathy, Anne, and Kat, and even some of the abuse they experienced. Apparently, he’d live-streamed some of it on Instagram and Robson was sure that someone had screen-recorded. Even if he hadn’t, the detective now had enough information to put both Henry  _ and _ Thomas away for a long time.

“Anyway,” Henry continued, “You know, you seem like a chill dude. We should hang out sometime.”

“Yeah,” Robson nodded, trying their best to fake excitement, “I’ll have to check my schedule, but I’m sure we could find a time that works.”

“Definitely,” The billionaire looked around the room, then fired his gun into the couch.

Kat yelped in pain and Anne immediately stuffed her forearm between her cousin’s jaws to try and muffle the noise.

Henry’s eyebrow raised but before he could react, Robson had already sent a bullet of their own flying. Henry stumbled under the impact, his hand jumping to his shoulder to try and stem the bleeding.

“You shot me?” He screeched, eyes wide and pupils dilated.

Robson’s jaw tightened and they cautiously took steps toward the injured gunman.

“Where is your friend?” They demanded, kicking Henry’s automatic out of reach.

“Why do you care?” The billionaire spat, but the detective didn’t react.

“Where is your friend?”

“Not here.”

Robson rolled their eyes and was about to give a snappy comeback before remembering that their conversation was being recorded and if the case went to court, their actions would be judged too.

“Then where is he?” The detective took a slow breath.

There was a shriek and Robson spun to see Thomas Culpeper with Anna pulled against his chest, gun to the side of her head.

“Right here,” Thomas snarled.

Robson quickly looked at Anna to make sure she wasn’t hurt and, to her credit, it looked like she had gotten in some hits from the red marks forming on the man’s arms and face.

“Listen,” the detective took a few steps to the side so they didn’t have to turn their back to either of the men at any one time, “Just calm down. No one else needs to get hurt.”

“You’re going to let us go,” Thomas cocked the gun and tears streaked down Anna’s cheeks.

“Okay,” Robson nodded slowly, “Okay. Let go of her, take your friend, and then leave. No one has to get hurt.”

Thomas tapped his chin with the snout of his Glock, “Hmm, no,” He shook his head, “I need to be sure that you won’t follow us.”

“I won’t,” Robson agreed, “I promise.”

“Not good enough,” Thomas aimed the gun straight at the cop, “Drop your gun. Now.”

Robson slowly knelt down and set their firearm on the floor, “Okay.”

“Now, uhm…” The second gunman bit his lip.

“Your first hostage situation?” Robson asked, raising their hands up beside their head.

“No!” Thomas scoffed, then deflated after a few seconds, “Yeah, uhm, what do people usually do?”

Robson shrugged, “I mean, I haven’t worked very many hostage situations, but I’m pretty sure that now you take your friend, leave the girl, and get out of here.”

Thomas repeated the words to himself, “That sounds good.” He pressed the gun closer to Anna’s head as he dragged her around to Henry.

From the couch, Anne was trying her best to try and stall the bleeding in Kat’s hip from the bullet wound, which had thankfully been a through-and-through. But, that also meant that Anne had a fresh injury, too. Luckily, the bullet had only grazed her side and it wasn’t bleeding as much as Kat was.

Under her breath, Anna was repeating,  _ “Lass mich nicht sterben. Bitte, Gott, lass mich nicht sterben,” _ over and over to herself.

“So,” Thomas looked down at Henry on the floor, “Uhm, how do I know that you won’t shoot me the second I let go of the girl?”

“You take my word,” Robson told him, “Besides, I can’t reach my gun on the floor fast enough.”

Thomas nodded slowly, “Right, yeah, yeah. I’m good. Uhm,” He shoved Anna away from him, grabbed Henry, and clambered through the window, dragging his friend’s limp figure after him.

Robson immediately ran to the German, who was frozen still in shock.

“I’m going after them,” The detective announced to the women when they’d checked Anna over briefly.

“No need.”

Jane peaked up from behind the couch, as did Anne, while Catalina and Cathy glanced around the wall.

Another cop was climbing elegantly through the window, “We’ve got them both.”

“Oh, Dieu merci!” Anne exclaimed, earning a soft chuckle from the detectives.

“I didn’t hear you arrive,” Robson panted to the new cop.

The other detective smiled, “We didn’t have our sirens or our lights on when we reached within a block of the house,” She explained. “You left your radio on so everyone heard your conversation. We figured that a surprise attack might be the best approach.”

“It was successful,” Catalina slowly got to her feet, pulling Cathy up beside her.

The writer sprinted over to the couch and dropped to her knees beside Anne, who rolled Kat onto her back.

“Uhm, Detective?” Anne raised her hand awkwardly, “Uhm, we need help. Kat was shot. It’s bad.”

Robson was at her side in an instant while their partner waved over EMTs.

The paramedics swarmed the living room, checking over the seven who had been involved in the gunfight. Kat was immediately set onto a stretcher and carried out with Anne chasing after her, ignoring the poor paramedic who had been trying to treat her side.

The EMTs loaded the gurney into an ambulance with Anne jumping in beside her cousin.

“Miss,” One of the paramedics stared at Anne with wide eyes, “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing,” Anne shrugged off the concern, “Is my cousin going to be okay?”

“Miss-”

“Don’t ‘Miss’ me!” she snapped, “Please. Just… is she going to be okay?”

The paramedic bit his lip, “We’re doing everything we can for her and have alerted the doctors of the situation.” He paused for a few seconds and continued to switch the gauze against Kat’s wound, each one lasting a little longer than the last. “Your cousin, she seems like a strong girl. A fighter.”

Anne nodded and reached for Kat’s hand, “She is.”

The teenager groaned softly and turned her head slowly to her older cousin.

“Annie?” She whispered.

Anne sat forward and leaned into Kat’s field of vision, “I’m here,  _ chaton _ .”

“Where are we?” Kat’s grip on Anne’s hand tightened, “Who’s that?”

“That’s Mike,” Anne explained, remembering the name of the paramedic that had been shouted from his co-worker, “He’s taking care of you.”

“He?” Kat immediately cringed away from Mike.

“No, no, no,” Anne jumped to her feet so Kat saw her more clearly, _ “C’est bon, chaton. Je suis là. Il ne te touchera pas.Il essaie juste d’arrêter l’hémorragie. Je l’ai surveillé de près.” _

“Promise?” Kat whimpered.

Anne kissed her cousin’s forehead gently, “I promise.  _ Tu es en sécurité, mon amour. _ ”

Kat relaxed ever so slightly and Anne nodded at Mike to continue to treat the gunshot wound.

Mike seemed to pick up on Kat’s discomfort so he leaned up carefully beside Anne and introduced himself.

“Hello, Kat. My name is Mike. It’s very nice to meet you.”

The teenager whimpered and cringed closer to Anne, who gently stroked Kat’s hair and hummed,  _ “Tu es en sécurité. Je t’ai, Kat.Tu es en sécurité.Tu vas bien. Je t’ai, je t’ai,” _ over and over.

“I understand that you’re uncomfortable,” Mike continued, “And I can only imagine what has happened to you, but for whatever it’s worth, I’m 100% gay and in a serious relationship with a man I intend to propose to this weekend. I promise I am strictly professional.” He smiled, “Besides, Miss Kat, you’ve got a very loving and protective cousin here. If I step out of line, she will tell me off.”

To Anne’s surprise, Kat relaxed slightly and let Mike continue to treat her wound.

“Annie?” The teenager whispered.

Anne leaned close down to Kat’s ear, “Yes?”

“Protect me?”

The raven-haired cousin nodded and lovingly flicked Kat’s nose, “Of course,  _ chaton _ . You’re safe.”

“Love you…” Kat muttered.

_ “Je t'aime aussi.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments! I love hearing what you have to say!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: hospitals, scars, nightmare, fainting

“Ms. Boleyn?”

Anne bit her lip and followed the doctor to the hallway, leaving Kat alone in the hospital bed with Catalina, Jane, Cathy, and Anna clustered around the bed.

“Is everything okay, Doctor?” she asked, hugging her elbows.

The doctor shifted on her feet and fiddled with the clipboard in her hands, “We saw something on your cousin’s back, and we thought we should let you know.”

“The word?” Anne asked, “You saw the scars on her back that spell a word?”

The doctor blinked in surprise, “You know?”

“Yes, uhm,” She sighed, “We escaped a 3-month kidnapping just a few days ago. Our captors had written that on her.”

The doctor exhaled deeply, clearly relieved that she didn’t have to break the news. “As long as you know, and I’m very sorry that you were kidnapped.”

Anne smiled slightly, “Yeah, uhm, me, too.” She looked back inside and took a step toward the door, “Can I get back, or?”

“Just, er, just one more question, if possible,” The doctor asked.

“Sure.”

“Is Ms. Howard aware of what the word is?”

Anne nodded slowly, “Yes. We told her.”

“Does she know the significance of the word?”

“I’m not sure it’s hard to miss the significance of having the word ‘slut’ carved into your back.”

The doctor had the decency to look embarrassed, “Right, uhm, of course. My apologies, Ms. Boleyn. I will let you get back to your family. Thank you for your time.”

Anne nodded, then pushed back into Kat’s hospital room. The teenager was still unconscious, Anna curled up beside her, also asleep.

Catalina was sitting on one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs, head in her hands, while Jane paced the floor at the foot of the hospital bed. Cathy was sitting in the window seat, bent over her notebook. Anne flopped down beside her girlfriend, resting her head in Cathy’s lap.

The writer gently combed her fingers through Anne’s hair and continued to scribble onto her page.

“What did the doctor want?” Cathy asked softly so Catalina and Jane couldn’t hear.

Anne sighed and hugged her girlfriend’s knees, “They saw Kat’s back while in surgery,” she explained softly, “The doctor wanted to make sure that I knew they were there.”

Cathy nodded and glanced over at the hospital bed, “I’m glad it wasn’t anything too serious.”

There was a soft moan, followed by the heart monitor on the wall speeding up. Instantly, Anne had jumped to her feet and rushed to the bed.

Kat’s eyes were squeezed shut and she was thrashing against the blankets around her.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Anne started pulling back the weight against her cousin’s body.

With the blankets back, Kat started to relax again before her eyes jumped open and she started freaking out again.

“Stop!” She started kicking Anna and the German quickly woke up and compiled, jumping off the bed and backing against the wall. “No, no, no! Stop! Please! Stop!”

Anne and Cathy jumped into action immediately.

_ “Chaton,”  _ Anne said softly, careful to avoid touching her cousin, “Kat, Kat, come on, you’re okay.  _ Chaton. Chaton, _ open your eyes,  _ mon amour. _ ”

Cathy started to hum quietly but stayed back as Kat’s pained calls subsided into sobs. Anne scooted closer to her cousin, gently starting to stroke the girl’s head.

_ “Chaton, _ ” she murmured, “Come on,  _ mon amour, ouvre les yeux. _ You’re safe.”

Kat whimpered and slowly opened her eyes, glancing up at Anne hesitantly.

“Annie?”

“I’m here,” Anne nodded, pulling Kat close against her chest, “I’ve got you, kitten.”

Anna slowly stepped back toward the bed, “ _ Kätzchen?” _ She asked.

Kat pulled her head out of the crook of Anne’s shoulder, smiling slightly when she saw her girlfriend, “Anna,” She extended an arm out to the German.

“Are you okay, Kat _?” _ Anna asked, sitting down beside the cousins.

The pink-haired teenager shook her head slightly and pulled out of Anne’s arms in favor of her girlfriend. Anne retreated off the bed and into the waiting arms of Cathy, who hugged her from behind.

Anne groaned softly, her head dropping forward slightly.

“Anne?” Cathy’s arms tightened, “Anne? Are you okay?”

“I don’t feel very well,” Anne squeezed her eyes shut and swayed on her feet. Cathy stumbled under Anne’s weight as the Boleyn girl lost her balance. “I’m sorry…”

Catalina was on her knees in an instant and caught the raven-haired girl when she fell.

“Jane!” Cathy pleaded, “Get a nurse.”

The blonde rushed out of the room, leaving Catalina and Cathy on the floor with Anne while Kat and Anna watched from the bed.

“Who needs help?”

Cathy was pushed aside when a nurse dropped to his knees beside Anne.

“What happened?”

Catalina quickly explained how quickly the fainting had happened as the nurse looked for any obvious ailments.

“Here,” the nurse quickly identified blood seeping slowly from the wound on Anne’s side.

“Oh my God!” Cathy exclaimed, holding Anne’s head gently into her lap, “What-”

“It’s not too bad,” The nurse assured her, “It’s just been bleeding for a while. Here, can you keep pressure on that while I get supplies?”

Cathy nodded and held her hand where the nurse’s had been.

“ _ Aquí, mija, _ ” Catalina moved to Anne’s head, “Let me get this. You focus on the blood.”

The nurse returned with gauze, medical tape, and antiseptic whites and carefully pulled Anne’s bloody shirt away from the wound. Cathy watched as he cleaned and bandaged the injury, then helped set Anne up in one of the chairs.

“Do you know her blood type?” The nurse asked.

Cathy nodded, “A-positive.”

“Right,” he stood up, “I’ll be right back.”

Anne murmured in her sleep, and Cathy settled into the chair with her girlfriend, cuddling Anne’s limp body against her chest. And they stayed like that until the raven-haired girl regained consciousness.

  
  


Kat was in the hospital for three days before she was finally discharged and they brought her home to Jane’s apartment.

Anne was leaning against the kitchen door and watching her cousin curl up on the couch between Anna and Jane as the three binged hours of  _ Horrible Histories _ .

“What segment are they watching?” Cathy came up behind Anne and wrapped her hands around the Boleyn girl’s waist and rested her chin on Anne’s shoulder.

“Slimy Stuarts,” Anne answered, twisting to lightly kiss Cathy’s nose.

“Hey,  _ tortolitas _ ,” Catalina threw a dishtowel at the back of their heads, “ _ Vamos, _ give me a hand.”

Anne stuck her tongue out at the Spaniard but did as she was told and dragged Cathy over to the stove where they helped Catalina finish cooking.

“Jane, Kat, Anna,” Cathy called, taking the bowls handed to her by her godmother, “Food.”

“Yes!” Kat held the ‘S’ longer than necessary and reached to take the soup and the potholder from the writer.

Anne and Catalina joined them soon afterward, passing bowls to Jane and Anna respectively before the six piled onto Jane’s couch and armchairs. A new episode of  _ Horrible Histories _ started and Kat grinned widely at the theme song, as she always did.

Anne leaned against Cathy, resting her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. It had been a long road from the day they escaped Henry and Thomas, but they were finally home: finally safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written in two parts so I'm sorry if this one wasn't as good. The first part was written during my History class after I finished a test and the second part was written at 11 o'clock at night while eating cereal and watching Horrible Histories so-
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading. There might be more I'll include later, but for now, this is it. I hope y'all enjoyed it!


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